A replicant is primarily a creation of science fiction author Philip K. Dick, in his novel Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep (later made into the movie Blade Runner). Created by the Tyrell Corporation sometime in the twenty-first century, replicants are androids formed through genetic engineering. They are equal in intelligence to their human creators, but they lack basic empathy. This makes them incredibly dangerous to humans, and elite bounty hunters are paid exorbitant amounts to track down and "retire" (kill) them.
In the anime series Bubblegum Crisis, the character Priss Asagiri leads a band called The Replicants.
